Echoes in Darkness

Sometimes your only warning...is Echoes in Darkness

Combat on Sardis!

13

DEC/13

After escaping from the station, our intrepid band of mercenaries made its way back to Chuck’s ship. After reporting the details of the zombies, the non-Euclidian geometry of the station, and the mysterious presence, it was agreed that not actually destroying the station was probably the right call. Rescued logs and research data were turned over, the new rescues/recruits (Dr. Batz and Carlos) were officially signed on to the team, and a new mission was assigned.
This assignment was to locate and extract a six-man corporate security team from a dangerous situation on Sardis, a planet near Brotherhood of Knives space. Due to technological developments in spaceship drive technology, Sardis had been rapidly developing from a primitive backworld into a more modern world serving as a gateway to the Brotherhood. This new access caught the attention of a number of megacorps, who were jockeying for position against each other…hence the need for security teams. This particular security team had fallen out of contact, possibly due to hostile activity by snipes, which had been been reported in the area.
After receiving information that should allow our merry band to contact the security team once they arrived at the planet, the team set off on its two-week journey to Sardis. After an uneventful journey during which plans were formed, discussed, and just as quickly discarded, the ship popped out of hyperspace on target. Almost immediately, a debris field was noticed nearby. Diverting course from the standard approach to the planet, it was determined that the wreckage from from combat operations, and seemed to consist mostly of cargo ships, fighter craft, and some elderly Brotherhood cruisers. No survivors were located, and no additional evidence as to what happened was found, so the team moved on.
Approaching the planet, it was quickly determined that communications were nearly completely out – nothing other than scattered and broken broadcasts could be heard. Switching to optical sensors, the team realized that much of the planet was now a war zone…combat was taking place in cities, fires were uncontrolled, and missiles were fired at any aircraft that came in range. After identifying a safe parking orbit, an attempt was made to use the procedures provided by Chuck to contact the ground team…an attempt which failed when the ship’s transmitter blew out. After some furious work by Bradshaw, however, communications were repaired, and contact with the surface team was made. As it turned out, their location had been overrun by snipe forces and was now behind enemy lines. After discussion with the five survivors of the team, combined with some recon from orbit, a suitable landing location was identified that was only a couple of miles from the team’s hideout. The previous aerial pickup plan was discarded in favor of a landing, followed by a vehicular extraction of the team to the ship, followed by a quick getaway to space.
On the way down, a surface-to-air missile was fired at the ship, but missed wildly. The team quickly identified the landing site, and set down next to a fuel depot…necessary to get the ship back to space and on the way home. After some discussion about the best way to rig fuel transfer lines, Bradshaw stood up, said “Here, hold my beer”, and proceeded to close his eyes and assumed an appearance of great concentration. After some period of time, during which Carlos quietly drained the beer, Bradshaw opened his eyes and announced that he could not in fact use the power of his mind to transfer the fuel, and that lines would have to be rigged after all. A disgruntled Bradshaw was left to contemplate his now-empty beer can, while several other team members began rigging lines and initiating the fuel transfer process.